‘I Feel Like I’m Taking Crazy Pills!’ Ari Melber Says Manchin Relying on ‘Dumb’ Bipartisanship Argument as Excuse for Inaction

MSNBC’s Ari Melber called out Senator Joe Manchin as he slammed “dumb” arguments from Republicans about bipartisan legislation.

Manchin recently made comments about insisting an infrastructure deal be bipartisan. Melber remarked, “His literal position is that making this bipartisan is a prerequisite for him supporting it.”

Melber argued that Manchin is part of “an antiquated, distorted and sometimes frankly ridiculous approach to governing in D.C., where politicians’ branding or vanity is put above the jobs, the health, the public interest of hundreds of millions of people.”

“And it’s all for a narrow appeal to DC’s definition of bipartisanship that’s baked into political jargon as if it’s automatically always a good thing,” he said.

Melber said the “DC political class” is still stuck on an “old model of bipartisanship” when that model is now dead in this highly polarized environment. He argued measuring bipartisanship by congressional support is far less productive than measuring it by the support something has with the American public, referencing polls showing many Republicans supporting the covid relief legislation.

He even invoked the famous Zoolander line as he added, “Watching some of the coverage can make you feel a little bit like Will Ferrell’s Mugatu, I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!”

Melber went back to Manchin to say if the West Virginia Democrat wants to make sure “his own conservative constituents” are on board, that’s one thing, but “if he’s just waiting on some of the most partisan politicians in America, who don’t even represent their districts’ views, to tell him when to vote for something, well, that makes no sense. That is the surest way to play yourself.”

You can watch above, via MSNBC.